


Doppelgänger

by wallofglass



Category: Holby City
Genre: Fredrik Being Sneaky, M/M, Mentions of John’s Past, Pre-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-10
Updated: 2018-11-10
Packaged: 2019-08-21 16:21:29
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 521
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16579946
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wallofglass/pseuds/wallofglass
Summary: John Gaskell runs into someone at a medical conference.





	Doppelgänger

Discussion panels, meetings, interminable thesis presentations by eager young doctors. Networking. These conferences always made John itch under the skin. Too many probing questions, judgemental eyes, claws tugging his ideas apart. When he took to the podium to present his work they all bared their fangs and the hour spent in front of the mirror, selecting the right tie, smoothing his hair down, smearing coconut oil onto his arms so the scars didn’t burn and distract him felt futile.

Drinks receptions. Whisky - the name stolen from Henrik’s tongue years ago, scanning the crown, marking his exits. He had spent years trying to break this habit, scolding himself for his childishness, telling himself that no-one was coming to steal him, but then Henrik had appeared, warming his hands and his bed, and had stolen away John’s heart. Now he kept a more vigilant watch than ever.

And now this. A young man, dark and imposing, staring down at John as he floundered. He wasn’t Henrik. But he was. His eyes were Henrik, his tall slender frame and pitch dark hair.

‘I’m sorry—‘ John cursed his stammering voice ‘-I thought you were— someone else.’

The man smiled then, tightly, Henrik’s present day smile transplanted onto his younger face. Uncanny.

‘I’m so sorry, I’m Professor John Gaskell, neuro,’ John held out his hand, raising his eyebrows in question. The young man shook his hand, looking interested now. Perhaps John’s reputation had reached him.

‘Fredrick Smith, I study at UCL. No speciality yet.’

His accent was faintly twisted, like he was trying to be something he wasn’t. John could relate. This strange Henrik doppelgänger made him squirm inside. The idea that it could be Henrik’s unknown son had crossed his mind, but this man sounded English, was probably hiding an accent similar to John’s under than affected London drawl. John wanted to excuse himself, but the young man was gesturing to the bar and John found himself following in his wake.

-

The hotel room was overheated, the sheets pushed to the end of the bed. He saw Henrik, Fredrick, Henrik, Fredrick—with every thrust, his body jarring, slamming into the bed-head. There had been so few over the years, all of them blurred together now, but Henrik was always first, always on his mind. It always felt like a betrayal.

Fredrick’s eyes were wide open, fixed on the wall above John’s head. He was so young and flawless, snakey hips and disdain. John’s scarred, ageing body felt utterly inadequate. Henrik, stripped of the years, Fredrick, pushing away from him as soon as they finished.

-

The following morning John’s head felt twice the size, throbbing with dehydration. His papers were scattered over the room and he cursed himself for drinking so much. Fredrick could have seen anything, could have seen Lana’s name on half a dozen documents. The picture John kept of Henrik, curled up next to him in bed, was lying on the desk. He wondered if he had shown it to Fredrick, made some comment on their similarity. But now, looking down at Henrik’s young face he could barely remember what Fredrick looked like.

**Author's Note:**

> This is set pretty soon before Fredrik turns up in the show I guess? Idk what his exact timeline is but he’s being a sneaky boy because he recognises John’s name, somehow. Also the spelling of Fredrik in the the fic is wrong because it’s from John’s POV and he would assume it’s a more anglicised spelling.


End file.
